Afro-Haitians

Afro-Haitians or Black Haitians (French: Afro-Haïtiens or Haïtiens Noirs; Haitian Creole: Afwo-Ayisyen, Ayisyen Nwa) are Haitians who come from the many Black groups of Africa. They are the largest racial group in Haiti and make up the biggest part of the Afro-Caribbean people.

Most Afro-Haitians are descendants of people from west and central Africa. They were brought to the island by the French and Spanish Empire to work on farms growing crops. After the Haitian Revolution, Afro-Haitians became the largest group in the country. Today, they make up about 95% of Haiti’s population. The other 5% includes people of mixed African and European background, as well as smaller groups from Europe, Arab, and Asia.

Haitian nationality

Main article: History of Haitian nationality and citizenship

Afro-Haitians, or Black Haitians, are people in Haiti with ancestry from Black groups in Africa. They are the largest racial group in Haiti and are part of the biggest group of Afro-Caribbean people. Most Afro-Haitians come from ancestors who were brought from west and central Africa by French and Spanish empires to work on farms.

History

The island of Ayiti was first home to the Indigenous Arawak Peoples: Taíno, Ciguayo and the Siboney. Italian explorer Christopher Columbus saw the island on December 6, 1492, and called it La Isla Española, meaning "The Spanish Island," which later became known as Hispaniola. The Spanish ruled the island from 1492 until 1697.

Later, the French took control of the western part of the island in the Treaty of Ryswick and named it Saint-Domingue. This area would eventually become Haiti. The eastern part stayed under Spanish control.

Further information: Slavery in Haiti § Saint Domingue (1625–1789)

The economy of Saint-Domingue depended heavily on plantations. From 1681 to 1791, about 790,000 to 860,000 people were brought from Africa to work on these farms growing sugar, coffee, cacao, indigo, and cotton. Life for these workers was very hard.

Further information: Haitian Revolution

Further information: History of Haiti

Origins

The ancestors of many Haitians came from many parts of Africa, from places like Senegal to the Congo. Most came from West Africa, but many also came from Central Africa. These groups included people from the Kongo kingdom, areas around Benin and Togo, and many others. Some also came from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Angola, and other places in Africa.

Further information: Saint-Domingue § Africans_in_Saint-Domingue

Demography

Haiti has about 11 million people, and half of them are under 20 years old. Most people live in cities, along the coast, and in valleys. According to The World Factbook, 95% of Haitians have ancestors from Africa. The other 5% are mostly of mixed-race or European background.

Genetics

Culture

Main article: Culture of Haiti

The culture of Haiti comes from mixing French and African traditions. This mixing shaped the country's religion, language, music, and more.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Haiti

Christianity

Many people in Haiti follow Catholicism, with about 35% of the population identifying as Catholic. The Catholic Church has been important in Haiti's history and culture.

Eglise de Saint Louis in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Further information: Catholic Church in Haiti

About 52% of Haitians belong to independent or non-denominational Christian groups. This includes Protestants like Baptists and Pentecostals, as well as other groups such as Episcopalians, Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Haitian Vodou and Ibo Loa

Syncretism:

Many Haitians, even those who are Catholic, also practice Vodou. Vodou mixes beliefs and traditions from West Africa with local Haitian customs.

A small number of people in Haiti follow religions from the African diaspora, such as ancestor worship. These practices come from blending different cultures and traditions.

Kanaval in Jacmel, Haiti, February 2014

Bakongo
- The northern part of Haiti is influenced by Kongo traditions, known as Rites Congo or Lemba.
- In the south, Kongo traditions are called Petwo (Petro). Many spirits in Vodou come from Congolese origins.
Taíno

The Zemi system

Fon religion has contributed to Haitian Vodou, including Dahomey's deities and Priesthood.
Yoruba Orisa beliefs are seen in spirits like Shango, Ogun, and Oshun.
Other West and Central African traditions.

Minority religions

Judaism

A small Jewish community exists in Haiti, with roots going back to colonial times.

Further information: History of the Jews in Haiti

Islam

Voodoo Moves

There is a small Muslim community in Haiti, made up of converts and descendants of former Muslim slaves. The three main branches of Islam in Haiti are Sunni, Shia, and Ahmadiyya.

Further information: Islam in Haiti

Bahá'í Faith

There is a small but growing Bahá'í community in Haiti.

Languages

Two main languages are spoken in Haiti. French is taught in schools and known by about 42% of the population, though it is mainly spoken by some black and mixed-race people in Port-au-Prince and other cities. Haitian Creole is spoken by most people, especially in rural areas. It comes from French, Spanish, Taíno, Portuguese, English, and African languages.

Further information: Haitian Creole

Music

Haitian folk singer Manno Charlemagne

Further information: Music of Haiti and Dance in Haiti

The music of Haiti is a mix of many influences from the people who have lived on the island of Hispaniola. It includes French, African rhythms, Spanish elements, and minor Indigenous Taíno influences. Young people enjoy music at nightclubs called discos, and at events called Bal, which comes from the French word for a formal dance.

Haiti has many unique music styles, including music from Vodou ceremonies, Méringue, Rara music for parades, Twoubadou ballads, Mini-jazz rock bands, the Rasin movement, Hip hop in Creole, and Compas. Compas, short for compas direct, is popular music that combines African rhythms with European dancing styles. It uses electric guitars, synthesizers, and either a solo alto saxophone, a horn section, or synthesizers.

The first recorded song in Haiti was "Fèy," a traditional Vodou folk song recorded by Jazz Guignard and RAM, a Haitian record label, in 1937. One famous Haitian artist is Wyclef Jean. Wyclef Jean left Haiti as a teenager and formed the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Pras. The Fugees became one of the best-selling hip hop groups ever with their album The Score released in 1996.

This section is an excerpt from Culture of Haiti § Music.

Haitian music is a mix of many influences from people who have lived on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It includes French, African rhythms, Spanish elements, and minor Indigenous influences. Haiti has many unique music styles, including music from Vodou ceremonies, rara music for parades, twoubadou ballads, mini-jazz rock bands, the rasin movement, hip hop in Creole, the very popular compas, and méringue.

Compas, short for compas direct, became popular through Nemours Jean-Baptiste in 1955. It comes from the Spanish word compás, meaning rhythm. Compas music has medium-to-fast beats and focuses on electric guitars, synthesizers, and either a solo alto saxophone, a horn section, or synthesizers. In Creole, it is called konpa dirèk or simply konpa, but people usually say kompa.

Notable people

Main article: List of Haitians

Here are some well-known Afro-Haitians: